Leeds win World Club Challenge

[TRF_melon]

courtesy of Tom Wald, AAP. NRL.com

A sloppy Manly have succumbed 26-12 to Leeds in a heated World Club Challenge encounter at Headingley.


The Super League champions scored five tries to two in front of a full house of more than 21,000 on a typically cool evening in Leeds.


The result continued Manly's tardy pre-season form and provided new coach Geoff Toovey with plenty to think about a fortnight out from their NRL season opener.


The Sea Eagles start their campaign against the Warriors at Eden Park on March 4.


The tourists made a terrible start with co-captain Jason King dropping his side's second touch of the ball from the kickoff.


The Sea Eagles looked tentative in attack and lacked composure against a willing if far from faultless Leeds side.


The hosts seized a deserved lead in the 19th minute when centre Kallum Watkins cut inside Steve Matai for the opening try.


Nine minutes later the home side stretched their lead out to 12 points after Ryan Hall sprinted nearly the length of the field after intercepting a Brett Stewart pass just metres from his own line.


The Manly fullback reduced the deficit to a converted try in the 32nd minute after steaming onto an inside ball from Kieran Foran.


But Hall ensured a 16-6 halftime lead for the Rhinos by slipping between Jamie Lyon and David Williams to collect a Kevin Sinfield cross-field kick for a simple try.


Rain started to fall in the second half but halfback Daly Cherry-Evans put Manly back within touching distance by sliding through the home side's goal-line defence.


Five minutes later, Steve Matai caught a cross-field kick and crossed over only for the video referee to disallow the try because Brett Stewart shoved out a Leeds defender out of the way.


Five minutes from time, Leeds wrapped up the win with Ben Jones-Bishop finishing off in the corner before Carl Ablett finished the scoring with a try in the dying moments.


"We have travelled a long way, unfortunately our performance did not come up to our usual standards," Toovey said.


"Very disappointed with our execution and decisions late in the tackle count but full credit to Leeds, they played better than we did."


Leeds coach Brian McDermott praised his players for their try-line defence in the second half as Manly continually put them under pressure.


The performance of the Rhinos came despite losing the services of both Jamie Jones-Buchanan (knee) and Ryan Bailey (concussion) during the match.


"Some of the defence was as scruffy as anything," he said.


"We had to do everything we could to keep them out, Sometimes it is like that on your own try line.


"It was brave and courageous."

Although I don't barrack for Manly in the least, it's certainly not a good sign for their NRL campaign. In saying that though, is this WCC ever really a good indication of the coming year?

 

[LittleGuy]

courtesy of Tom Wald, AAP. NRL.com



Although I don't barrack for Manly in the least, it's certainly not a good sign for their NRL campaign. In saying that though, is this WCC ever really a good indication of the coming year?

I am in the middle of watching the tape of this one and I agree it's usually more difficult for the NRL club because they have often lost players and the season hasn't even begun while the Super League team has had a couple of games in already. I was expecting a closer encounter but it seems from all the match reports that Manly have struggled in the pre-season. Let's get some more league posts going I would love to talk more NRL as I am just now getting into league.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I was going to post something about this ... but not with that ***le :lol: , people who may not want to know the result will now haha (Good to see you again melon )

Watched the game inbetween the Blues game. Leeds played well but also got some favourable decisions from the referee mind. But was a really good game for the neutral.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Agreed - was a good game if you didn't really mind the outcome.

Lot of sloppy play, but conditions hardly leant themself to the situation!

 

[UilamOsa]

courtesy of Tom Wald, AAP. NRL.com

Although I don't barrack for Manly in the least, it's certainly not a good sign for their NRL campaign. In saying that though, is this WCC ever really a good indication of the coming year?

No but it's usually a good sign of where an NRL team is in terms of it's preparation for the beginning of the year. Not a Manly fan, but Des would've been spinning around breaking doors with the amount of errors they pulled up.
Funnily enough, of the NRL Winners for the WCC - I don't think a team bar the early Broncos has followed it up with a Back to Back ***le win.

I am in the middle of watching the tape of this one and I agree it's usually more difficult for the NRL club because they have often lost players and the season hasn't even begun while the Super League team has had a couple of games in already. I was expecting a closer encounter but it seems from all the match reports that Manly have struggled in the pre-season. Let's get some more league posts going I would love to talk more NRL as I am just now getting into league.

Welcome. It's a wonderful (sometimes Alcohol fuelled) world of "Wham, Bam and Thank You Ma'am"

I like the WCC concept but I think it should be held maybe in April/May - it would be nice to have both teams at a level footing. I find when NRL teams go over, they are usually understrength due to international commitments or New Coaches are being broken in etc. Give both teams some time and then unleash them.

 

[Toby Faletau-Jones]

Lol, despite the result, Leeds are not anyway near as good as Manly. Player for player Manly make them look like division 1/2 players. So, i don't think this is going to be an indicator of how they will go this season. It was good to see Williams back though after breaking his neck during the Melbourne game.

They need to make it fair and play it in a neutral venue, i.e South Africa for example. This would build interest towards the game within the hosting nation. But one thing i miss from super league, and what they need over here is fans to be more vocal. The Aussies tend to say, and i agree with them that playing over in Britain gives them home advantage. If it was over here, 9 times out of 10 the Oz/Nz team would win.

 

[smartcooky]

A team at home at the peak of their fitness well into their season beats a team that has had to travel 12,000 miles for a one off match while still undergoing pre-season training. A hollow victory indeed!!

This "world club challenge" is just a sad joke. The whole concept having one team playing at home in mid-season v the other team from half a world away and yet to even start their season is deeply flawed. Send your Superleague team out to Australia and play the match on a 30°C Saturday afternoon at Suncorp, and we'll see how you do then!!

 

[Teh Mite]

A team at home at the peak of their fitness well into their season beats a team that has had to travel 12,000 miles for a one off match while still undergoing pre-season training. A hollow victory indeed!!

This "world club challenge" is just a sad joke. The whole concept having one team playing at home in mid-season v the other team from half a world away and yet to even start their season is deeply flawed. Send your Superleague team out to Australia and play the match on a 30°C Saturday afternoon at Suncorp, and we'll see how you do then!!

What? 2 Games is "well into the season"?

 

[Toby Faletau-Jones]

A team at home at the peak of their fitness well into their season beats a team that has had to travel 12,000 miles for a one off match while still undergoing pre-season training. A hollow victory indeed!!

This "world club challenge" is just a sad joke. The whole concept having one team playing at home in mid-season v the other team from half a world away and yet to even start their season is deeply flawed. Send your Superleague team out to Australia and play the match on a 30°C Saturday afternoon at Suncorp, and we'll see how you do then!!

My Sentiments exactly. As a Brit, when i played my first rugby league match in Australia, it was something like 35oC - When you're used to 5oC on a sunday morning to be playing in this extremity, it can be quite a shock. I felt dead after the game due to the heat, and also the level of footy is much higher out here. This applies for when the Ozzies play in Britain. Although it is cold in Australia at times too.

But nah, Leeds over here wouldn't even live with the likes of Cronulla Sharks (they're not a particularly strong team at the moment)

 

[smartcooky]

What? 2 Games is "well into the season"?

Are you saying that teams in the second match of the Superleague season are not at full fitness?

In any case

► UK Superleague Grand Final was on October 8, 2011

► NRL Grand Final was on October 2, 2011

This World Club Challenge match should have been played on the weekend of October 15/16 2011, or is that too sensible?

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

I don't see why it's at the start of the season... The teams are quite different from the end of the previous season. It's a bit of a redundant match...

 

[Toby Faletau-Jones]

Are you saying that teams in the second match of the Superleague season are not at full fitness?

In any case

► UK Superleague Grand Final was on October 8, 2011


► NRL Grand Final was on October 2, 2011

This World Club Challenge match should have been played on the weekend of October 15/16 2011, or is that too sensible?

This would have fell within the international window. Nz V Oz at Newcastle was on that weekend, also within 15 days, they were playing the 4N. Also, teams need to prepare, and the busness side of where to stay, all that crap needs to be sorted out. It would be too short notice for both teams. It's a stupid game, we all know who the best teams are, you only have to look at all the Australian/New Zealanders circulating within SL. Jamie Lyon for example, absolutely carves up in the UK with Saints, comes to Australia. He is still good but is made average by the NRL opposition teams.

 

[smartcooky]

This would have fell within the international window. Nz V Oz at Newcastle was on that weekend, also within 15 days, they were playing the 4N. Also, teams need to prepare, and the busness side of where to stay, all that crap needs to be sorted out. It would be too short notice for both teams. It's a stupid game, we all know who the best teams are, you only have to look at all the Australian/New Zealanders circulating within SL. Jamie Lyon for example, absolutely carves up in the UK with Saints, comes to Australia. He is still good but is made average by the NRL opposition teams.

Even more of a nothing match. What was the need to play that with the 4N coming up?

 

[Robert Prosser]

Are you saying that teams in the second match of the Superleague season are not at full fitness?

In any case

► UK Superleague Grand Final was on October 8, 2011

► NRL Grand Final was on October 2, 2011

This World Club Challenge match should have been played on the weekend of October 15/16 2011, or is that too sensible?

This would be the sensible thing to do it would be a great curtain closer to the season where they play but it wont happen as the powers that be never think like the fans do they?

 

[Teh Mite]

So it was a game which Manley neither cared about nor were match fit to play, and it was a bit cold are this years excuses. I wonder what they'll be next year.

 

[smartcooky]

So it was a game which Manley neither cared about nor were match fit to play, and it was a bit cold are this years excuses. I wonder what they'll be next year.

Same, same, same and same

I guess the definition of futile is doing something that doesn't work the same way over and over, and expecting a different result.